The Earliest Americans and the beginnings of Contact
Paleo Indians (Mound Builders)
Maya
Inca
Aztec
Introduction
This week you will explore different pre-contact cultures, including Paleo-Indian peoples, the Maya, the Inca, and the Aztec. Using the collections at the Peabody, PowerPoint presentations, and a variety of online and written sources, you will develop an understanding of native peoples and how they lived. You will uncover the abuldant creativity, dynamic relationships, and enduring contributions of early peoples in the Americas.
Focus Questions
Were there advanced civilizations in this continent before the Europeans came? What happened to them? Why do you think that the well-governed and peaceful Inca empire, which stretched 2,500 miles from Ecuador south to Chile, could have been conquered by only 200 Spanish Conquistadors? What is the legacy of the Incas? Was the fall of the Aztec Empire inevitable? Was Cortes a hero or a villain? What would the world be like today if the Aztecs had been the "conquistadors" and conquered Europe?
The Earliest Americans and the beginnings of Contact
Paleo Indians (Mound Builders)
Maya
Inca
Aztec
Introduction
This week you will explore different pre-contact cultures, including Paleo-Indian peoples, the Maya, the Inca, and the Aztec. Using the collections at the Peabody, PowerPoint presentations, and a variety of online and written sources, you will develop an understanding of native peoples and how they lived. You will uncover the abuldant creativity, dynamic relationships, and enduring contributions of early peoples in the Americas.Focus Questions
Were there advanced civilizations in this continent before the Europeans came? What happened to them?Why do you think that the well-governed and peaceful Inca empire, which stretched 2,500 miles from Ecuador south to Chile, could have been conquered by only 200 Spanish Conquistadors? What is the legacy of the Incas?
Was the fall of the Aztec Empire inevitable? Was Cortes a hero or a villain? What would the world be like today if the Aztecs had been the "conquistadors" and conquered Europe?
Activities
Resources
Link to Carl Sandburg's CahokiaField Trip